Question

What is the first step to solving the equation -2(3x + 8) − 2 = 10 ? Combine like terms. Distribute the -2. Add 3x + 8. None of these choices are correct.

Answer 1

The first step in solving the equation is to distribute the -2 across the terms inside the parentheses. Therefore correct option is B

Step-by-step explanation:

The first step to solving the equation -2(3x + 8) - 2 = 10 is to distribute the -2 to the terms inside the parentheses. This means multiplying -2 by both 3x and 8.

Distributing -2 to 3x gives -6x, and distributing -2 to 8 gives -16.

After distributing, the equation becomes -6x - 16 - 2 = 10.